Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1887-12-23
A CLEVER CAPTURE.

At three o'clock one morning twenty
years ago L was on a railroad train going
from Portage, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee.
had been out on some private detective
work for parties in the latter city. and
had succeeded so we'll that I was both
happy and sleeplesS. This was the rea-
son was not in a sleeping car, fast held
in the arms of slumber instead of oc-
cupying a seat in the common coach, with
my eyes very wide open and my wits all
about me.
[ may say, without egotism, that am
an observing man. There are others in
plenty, but the greater half of humanity
go through life with their eyes half shut.
My father was n Sheriff for many wears,
and, as boy, he taught me to observe
and remember If | went down town or
out for walk ] had to tell him, when
| got home, who and what [ had seen.
On one occasion, for failing to report
loose horse / had seen in the road, L got
sound thrashing, and again, for failing
to report street fight, my liberty was
taken away for four days. | can thus
cruthfully say TO You that had the habit
of observation licked into me, while ma
ture had kindly furnished me with very
retentive memory. By and by / began
10 study human character as profession,
and / liked it. / learned to read mems
characteristics by their faces, and their
thoughts by their actions, and on two
occasions this faculty of perception pre-
vented Jail deliveries.
was wide awake, as / have told you,
when the train stopped at country
station on signal. 1t barely came to a
standstill, and only one passenger got
aboard. The car was pretty well filled,
and such of the passengers as had seats
alone were stretched out in sleep I had
sized up every one near me, and had
counted up two honest old farmers, a
drOver. two millincrs. Il mechanic and
family, and house painter who was
evidently going to the city for work.
No one seemed 10 notice the entrance of
the new passenger. 1t was in October,
and he had on fall overcoat He carried
heavy valise in one hand, and he came
down the aisle, looking from right to
left, until he finally reached my seat. /
moved 10 the window as a hint that
was ready TO share it with him. but he
hesltated for long minute, and looked
at me sharply three or four times before
he finally sat down. The satchel he
placed between his feet. He had not
uttered a word. and after sitting down
he seemed to forget all about me-
Hello but | have found two legged
hog" | said to myself after bit. 81
offered him half my seat of my own free
will, and he seems to be mad because
did not surrender it all. Old fellow,
you are an II. O. g., and no mistake. Let
me look you over bit"
| leaned back against the window, pre-
tended to shut my eyes and resume my
nap, and then inventOried the fellow.
He had hard, cruel face on him, and I
felt sure he was a man with little mercy
in his heart l had not been looking at
him over two minutes when / saw that
he was taking sly glances at me, and that
he was quite anxious about the satchel.
In the course of five minutes he turned
around and gave me thorough lOokin g
over, and l read in the gesture of his
said to himself:
Bah! Why should I be afraid of
him p
His dress was that of "a barkeeper-
rather f1ashy. The jewelry he wore gave
him away as well. If he was not bar
keeper he was at least the owner of a
saloon, and, from his build, l judged
him to be pugilist of more or less local
fame. After one general look at his
dress, l began at his collar to make a
closer inspection. His shirt collar kept
working up to annoy him, and l said to
myself that the button was gone and he
had fastened it with pin. In his twist
ing around he pulled his overcoat back,
and | saw that the top button on his I'M
der coat had been pulled out by n violent
Jerk, leaving a hole in the cloth. The
coat was new, and it would take heavy
wrench to pull the button out that way.
l followed his arm down to his right
hand, and across the back of it was a
long scratch. 1t was fresh scratch, for
the marks of blood still fingered, My
eyes dropped TO the strangers right leg.